The New Jersey Museum of Boating
1800 Bay Avenue
Johnson Boat Works, Building 13
Point Pleasant, NJ. 08742
(732) 701-2581
Open: Sunday 9:00am-5:00pm/Monday-Tuesday Closed/Wednesday 12:00pm-4:00pm/Thursday Closed/Friday-Saturday 12:00pm-4:00pm
Admission: Free but donations accepted
My review on TripAdvisor:
The entrance to the New Jersey Museum of Boating
The sign that welcomes you
The Johnson Boat Yards just outside the museum where you can see all the private pleasure boats
The Museum’s Mission:
(From the museum’s pamphlet)
The mission of the New Jersey Museum of Boating is to celebrate our state’s rich maritime history. We are committed to educating, preserving, interpreting and presenting the boats built in New Jersey and the related marine equipment and materials traditionally used in the process.
‘Boats N’ Kids’ is part of the charter we are endeavoring to educate today’s youth on the history of boating in New Jersey. We offer several programs for children which include basic boating safety and intern programs during the spring and summer. Visit the website or call our number for more details.
The boat display outside the museum
In 2002, the museum became the newest destination on the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail, achieving recognition by the National Park Service for the historic value of its collection and location.
The display of marine vessels outside of the museum
As part of our Charter, we are committed to the education of today’s youth on the history of boating in New Jersey. In that regard, the museum has developed a multi-faceted program to invite students from New Jersey’s elementary and high schools for information tours of the museum.
The display of boats just outside of the museum
My visit to the Museum:
While I admired all the boats outside the museum and the Johnson family Boat Works Marina and all the pleasure boats, all the nautical displays were in the inside of the museum.
The inside of the museum offers a gift shop and an introduction to the museum’s mission on the history of Boating
One of the first displays describes the famous shark attacks at the Jersey shore in 1916 as summer beach bathing was becoming popular. These were noted in the film ‘Jaws’.
The New Jersey Shark Attacks of 1916
The next display I visited was the World War II display to our veterans and their contributions from the State of New Jersey. There had been many sightings of enemy submarines on the Jersey shore.
The detailed display on our State’s contribution to the ‘Great War’
War propaganda poster that would be considered racist today but effective back then.
The next display was on the history of the fishing in the state. We have had and still have some of the best fishing on the East Coast both for pleasure and commercially.
Some of the contributions of our fishermen in New Jersey
There was also a big contribution to the steam engines from New Jersey as well.
The ‘Steamboats’ exhibition
The Sneakbox sign
On display as well was the ‘Frisky’. The ‘Frisky’ is the first ‘Beaton Built’ sneakbox. It was built in 1941 by David Beaton & Sons which won numerous championships in the 1940’s and 1950’s (museum pamphlet).
The ‘Frisky’ sneakbox
In the back of the museum, there was a display of vintage outdoor motors which powered boats over the years.
The exhibition sign for the Vintage Motor exhibition
The sign for the “Vintage Motor” exhibition
The Vintage Outdoor Motor display
The outdoor motors from times past
In the front of the museum you will see the ‘Frame’ exhibition and all the tools to build a boat.
The ‘Frames’ sign
The ‘Frames’ display
A closer look at all the tools for the construction of a boat
There were also smaller displays around the museum such as the NJ Coast Guard display and the NJ State Rowing Championship’s to show the nautical activities that are going on in the State of New Jersey.
The Coast Guard station display
The NJ State Rowing Championship display
The New Jersey Museum of Boating offers a wealth of information on New Jersey’s nautical past, present and future place in history.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 